New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-06
WHO DISGRACED THE FLAGi
COLONEL MATHEWS ANSWERS HIS Enc
Miles,

LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS THAT SHED FLOOD
OF LIGHT ON THE AFFAIRS OF THE AMERICAN
CONSULATE AT TANGIER-AN AMERICAN
EXPEDITION" COMPOSED OF FOREIGN
ERs-PRIsoNERs BELIEVED TO
BE MYTHICAL
Colonel Felix A. Matthews, who for sixteen so"i'
held the post OF American ConsuFoeneisi az sI,
- nov In this city, He feels that article published
IN q The New York Times last Monday aud purport-
In, 10 be the report OF Colonel Matthew's successor
at Tanger on the evils OF Consular protecnon in
Morocco ia n gross sander on his administration OF
the post The article gave an account OF the release
of a number OF Moorish prisoners who bad been cast
osthsome 10 the interior OF Morocco ior
non-pavm ent debts due to American cred'ore'
orsoners were released, according TO the account,
an exoedition from Tangi headed by Cromweh "
U.Ior q an American resident" Without stating It,
The article left the inference that the Moors had peen
Imprisoned by Consul Matthew'S under the system oi
Consular protection. and the incident was usod as
text Tor lesson on the horrors practseu unuer 'no
,bi.ld of American Consular protection IN Morocco
Colonel Mathews held the paper With the article In
his hand and talked of ito origin to TRIBUNE
reporter. He said -.
This In all the outgrowth OF the unrelenting
hostility of one mau me-namey. Ion ii. Perdioaris.
For two he has by every means MS "reek
nature could conceive to GUST me from the post OF
Consul General to Taagier, and when at last no
succeeded il not on account OF any chargos
brought against me rejecting on my personal or
letter written by me on which lost my place on The
yrouni of offensive parts ,nship cared nothing
for the loss OF position where died Tor the cause
but 90 object having The pablo OF America thnK
that disgraced the American flag by UNFOLDING ex-
tortion aud usury In the OF Consular protection
while was Consult sneral at Tanger. This ~iil
prove 10 you If letters and documents prove any
thing"
Colonel Mathews in his home at the time, ana
he showed the reporter great bundle OF letters ana
bear on
Perdicars.
aIn the first place. said he, it anybody wants to
know OF nv personal standing iC Tangier, to whlch
post was appointed by President Grant In 1900 on
the recommendation Of Admiral Farragut aud General
Wool under both OF whom | served in the War OF the
Rebellion | will refer them to Roosevelt howiand,
f. L. Oppenoeim e. Co., Charles Watrous, ex-Judge
Charles p DAILY and many Others In this city, honoFa
BILE gentlemen all OF them, well as to any officer OF
the Navy Department who NAV have stopped In ran
gier since 1859. These all know how stand IN
Tanger. The oily charges have ever had brought
against me emanated from Periicaris and VIII give
yoa something OF the history of this fellows work
His father you may or may not know. was a wealthy
Greek whose farm near Trenton made him rica as the
city grew The has lived in Tanger since .s|Z
and his relations with me there are oest shown by
series of etters which will show you As an under
standing to al the rest will say that Perdicars has
been making his fight against me behind the cover OF
a philsntnropic ~ the system OF Consular
protection. See what he thought OF Consular protec
ton when he was himself doing business IN Morocco
Colonel Mathews drew from his pile OF letters the
following: - .,, ,o,o
colonel F. A. MATHEWS u S. Consul General
caiion Of the property lately deceased MOhammed 81
SsnSss 10 "a: as nv agent the
Ms I pes thai yoa win Investigate the
sss s' as IS e eoS T 10 the
qualification OF foresners and non irtdef'
You will observe that the or refusal OF te &
cases will i"evany result in the exclusion American
trade from tho markets of Morocco as viii oe lmpossoe
through whom alone possible TO effect III tue
interior Oh Inc empire An' 'n '''' ioS Il PkGDicaRs
"You will see" continued Colonel Mathews. " that at
that time he had had eight years experience In Morocco
during which was Consul General Much OF the tine
he lived IN Tangier and with his own eyes Mark
what he says this letter. and another document was
produced, reading IS follows
EI MIxzAH TAxGlHR January 27, 1888
DEAR COLONEL MATHEWS: MANY thanks for the cut
nss ,ne an met s Ga .s a
than bloom even about your mountain home
are hes d 70 oe sei ve post and
Also upon the honorary distinction Of DiPoma.e Agenil
ourselves at tbs wedeserved recognition by the Govern
Hsd given YOU an honest thousand per snnu which
SSd Ssy %aS on ss s s Se of .an YOU
May trouble you AGAIN my dear Coo1e ABOUT 'hs y. re
OF business be ore the time to do 90 has gone
regards and thanking again for tue cut
"You see at that time he had had eleven years oDser
walton my administration in Morocco But when he
wrote that letter he had ranking in his breast griev
ance against and 1t cropped out afterward II grew
cut OF claim he made against some aoors for $50 for
trespassing on field. commission allowed him
IS for his damage Although he says now that depressed
she natives and cast them into dungeons because OF
Amercansiebts see what he SAID when he held claim
against Moors The Colonel showed the re-
AataI To- Nav
1882 in which the writer urged him to press his claim
for 500 against certain Moors Tor uespass on his clover
seld In his letter Perdicaris says
IL e pG~ To 10 which sned oT he rss
pass on my MIA 81 clover where pasture any sy
that prot against Of the parties who have been
Ss.. sna Sa an w sOiS Ge
have instantly been good had sustained By the
subject other "" sna ssh mas Ssgn
known to press for claims against native deh
"He speaks OF my well-known unwillngness to press
for claims against denquents." resumed Colonel
Mathews THAT hardly looks consstentwith his present
charges tina as die for refusal to pay
American claims 1 filed his letter. as you see by the
writing the and sent copy to the Baegash
That was my course with all American claims would
not speak OF but for the foul article The Tunes
sent out ostensby from the State Department but am
bound to defend my good name Mr.. Perdicsris began
his warfare indirectly and directly on the system
of Consular protection in Morocco. He was
wealthy and spent his money freely. He has
for three years flooded the press OF Europe
and America with calumnies against me as an uphoder
Of barbarous system and extortioner He had an
elaborate pamphlet published in London attacking me
and he made charges against me at Washington When
the new Administration oame into power he visited
Washington and renewed his charges and at the sane
time applied for the post Of Consult at Tanger
1t is needless statea who know me will bear
witness that a truthful man-that never since
Ns.la ftrp far
failure to pay American debt
CONSUL INGRAHAMs INVESTIGATION.
"But for my vindication have better than my own
word strength Of Perdicarss charges the State
Department sent Consul Ingraham of Cadz to Tanger
to investigate the charges against Mr. Ingraham is
n Democrat, who had me. He was met at
Gibraltar by Captain Roeston, the secretary OF Perd
cars left his side until he departed Mr. In